sábado, septiembre 20, 2014

Bangladesh Bt brinjal farmers demand compensation

Farmers say they were "fooled" and used as "guinea pigs" for failed crop

Farmers in Bangladesh who were given Bt brinjal plants have demanded compensation for huge losses they incurred cultivating the GM crop.

British pro-GMO campaigner Mark Lynas presented the Bt brinjal as a success, claiming that reports about its failure were false "scare stories" put about by anti-GMO activists.

However, an investigation by The Guardian newspaper (UK) confirmed the widespread failure of the crop.

EXCERPT: [Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association] chief executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan said they would go to court if the government did not compensate the farmers. Demanding Bt brinjal cultivation to be stopped, she said that the government was adamant to cultivate the controversial crop despite public outcry and failure in its field level cultivation.---